お茶を濁す (ocha o nigosu)

Meaning: To dodge a question with a vague, evasive answer.

Language: Japanese

Literally: To muddy the tea

Category: Food & Drink

Origin: An amateur clumsily stirring up cloudy tea to mimic the real tea ceremony pictures someone faking their way past a hard question.

More idioms — Food & Drink

• Encher linguiça — To pad something out with filler to take up space or time.
• Met de neus in de boter vallen — To arrive at exactly the right, lucky moment.
• 미역국을 먹다 (Miyeokgugeul meokda) — To fail an exam.
• Lägga rabarber på något — To claim or grab something for yourself.
• Nu har du satt din sista potatis — You've done your last misdeed; you're finished.
• Bułka z masłem — Something very easy; a piece of cake.

More Japanese idioms

• 朝飯前 (Asameshi mae) — A task so easy it can be done before eating.
• 二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri) — A roundabout effort that has no real effect.
• 喉から手が出る (Nodo kara te ga deru) — To want something so badly you can hardly bear it.
• 棚から牡丹餅 (Tana kara botamochi) — An unexpected stroke of good luck.
• 七転び八起き (Nanakorobi yaoki) — To keep getting up no matter how often you fall.
• 月とすっぽん (Tsuki to suppon) — Two things alike at a glance but worlds apart.

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